‘Our customers love this show’, ‘a great platform’, ‘fantastic’ and ‘a fantastic buzz’ were just some of the comments from exhibitors and visitors at this year’s show.
Housewaresnews.net finds out how Exclusively 2024 went for some of the exhibitors and visiting buyers.
Claire Budgen, commercial and marketing director, Lifetime Brands
“Exclusively is always a show you can count on for attendance and 2024 didn’t disappoint. We were thrilled to catch up with so many existing and new customers, big and small. The format continues to work so well – small stands centred on new products so you can keep your conversations focused.
“Having decided to use the show as our platform to announce our collaboration with Jamie Oliver, it only elevated those conversations and made sure we covered ground really quickly and the reaction couldn’t have been better. What’s key, our customers seem to love this show and feel it connects the industry really well.”
Howard Bradley, commercial director, Dexam
“This year we had a new stand location and used this as an opportunity to trial something different with our displays. We received many compliments for a very bright and welcoming stand and retailers admired the front trend displays we created linking product by colour.
“Overall there was a good attendance as we saw the majority of targeted retailers and they spent time with us on our stand. It was disappointing that some major retailers only allocated a day for their visit and wonder if BHETA may consider extending the opening hours to 6pm on the Tuesday to ensure they get around to seeing everyone.
“Stars of the show for us were our new Christmas Nutcracker range and CellarDine by Dexam 100% recycled glass range which were really popular. Some people were a little downbeat with trade, which prevented a real buzz. May seems to have been below expected sales levels across all types of retail and the slow start to the summer seems to have played a part. Here’s hoping that the second half of the year will be a great one.”
Margaret Osei-Bonsu, buyer, Harrods
“It was great to see a lot our large suppliers partaking in the show such as: Le Creuset, KitchenAid, Ninja, Joseph Jospeh & Zwilling. In addition, some of the new exhibitors such as Aarke, Simplehuman and Beam Group. It’s a great platform for us to meet our suppliers collectively in London.
“Some brands however, didn’t showcase their most premium collections. Therefore, the stand appealed to more mass market retailers. Overall thoughts were that the show was positive and useful for existing suppliers. We should have allocated more time to explore new brands and products.”
Jennifer Dodd, head of marketing, Ultimate Products
“We had a very busy Exclusively Show across our three stands. We spent some great time with our existing customers discussing newness and showing them our latest offerings across Salter and Beldray, as well as meeting new contacts and talking through the high level of service that we can offer them at Ultimate Products. Our coordination lines proved very popular, especially the Salter Toronto and the Salter Pebble collections; both coordinating across housewares and SDA, many commented on how premium these ranges look and feel and how commercial the designs and colourways are.
“We held an event on the Tuesday evening to introduce our Beldray rebrand and highlight our new brand identity and brand values – it was a bright and colourful evening where we showcased a fresh and much more fun side to the Beldray brand. The rebrand event was a great chance to catch up with others in the industry as well as key retail buyers.
“In the brand showcase, the Salter stand was kept very busy, offering live embroidery to personalise aprons. This proved very popular with both influencers and journalists, and there was a queue all day long. It was great to be able to use the opportunity to talk through our latest collections, and introduce our new ‘Experts in Everyday’ tagline and brand identity. On the second day, we particularly enjoyed the press event and hope this new format is here to stay. It was great to be able to introduce the team, our products, and provide the brand story to a strong media list, before opening the floor for questions and wider discussion. As the Wednesday is often quieter, we think this format worked really well and journalists seemed very keen to return next year.”
George Mann, national sales manager, UK & Ireland, Le Creuset
“Another year, another Exclusively Housewares show! This year’s event was bustling with excitement as we unveiled our new White collection, which received an overwhelmingly positive response from our cherished customers. The show provided us with a valuable opportunity to connect with our retail partners to understand their strategic focus and align our efforts in supporting them. Our dedicated Account Managers eagerly shared our upcoming plans, including the vibrant United in Colour summer campaign, spooktacular Halloween surprises, and festive Christmas offerings. And of course, we showcased all our fresh and fabulous products for the season.
“The Scarlet Opus trends rooms were a highlight, revealing what’s sizzling hot in the industry right now.
“Kudos to the show organisers for orchestrating a seamless dream of an event. Their meticulous planning ensures that Exclusively Housewares remains a pivotal moment in our industry calendar.”
Max Viale-Sole, sales manager for UK and Ireland at OXO
“This 2024 show was fantastic. There was a great atmosphere and real feel of collaboration amongst all exhibitors – which is a positive signal to the market. We noticed increased investment from all brands and suppliers, with more new exhibitors joining the show.
“The OXO and Hydro Flask stand saw an increase in visitors compared to 2023, with a higher number of orders and new prospective retailers. The key focus of our stand was Icons are Forever, which was reinforced with the new Ingredient of Innovation campaign, which focuses on iconics in a more lifestyle-oriented way, showing how the products enhance everyday tasks. This resonated well with our customers, providing awareness about the rich history of the brand and the innovative products we bring to market.”
Ellie Wilcock, content manager, Pure Table Top
“This was our fourth year exhibiting at Exclusively Housewares, and we can confidently say it was our best show yet. We loved sharing some really exciting product newness, including our partnerships with all-new brands Eleanor Bowmer and the Eden Project. The show had a fantastic buzz about it this year and our stands were always busy with both familiar and new faces. Brilliantly organised and smoothly executed, we also want to extend our thanks to the organisers – we can’t wait for next year.”
Simone Hillman, buyer, Borough Kitchen
“This is clearly a show that is becoming important for the UK retailer to connect with the distributors and increasingly international vendors wanting to showcase their brands in the UK market. Although not much newness, it is a great way to strengthen the relationships with our vendors.”
John Alexander, national sales manager, Whitby & Co
“This was our first Exclusively show and we were really pleased with the results. Based up in the Lakes, Whitby & Co’s roots are in the outdoors market but in recent years we have added brands to our portfolio that sit well in a housewares context. We had been looking for an effective platform to show those brands to a housewares audience for some time and Exclusively has proved to be the best fit.
“The main focus was to showcase our key lifestyle brands French heritage knife manufacturer Opinel and Klean Kanteen sustainable hydration. But we took this opportunity to also include our other complementary brands: Feuerhand lanterns, Petromax outdoor cooking, Light My Fire picnicware and Akinod travel and picnic cutlery. We met with existing customers and were able to talk them through the whole lifestyle portfolio of brands on show and had some really useful conversations with new customers. All in all a great show for us.”
Richard Walker, managing director, Eddingtons
“I spoke with a couple of new exhibitors who were impressed with the organisation and communication from the show organisers, particularly towards the build up. I think AM/PM deserve a mention for their ‘hands on – can do’ logistics support. Personally we benefitted from the international speed dating event on the Monday evening, a useful chance to meet international partners we would not have ordinarily come across.
“The #SoCool trend trail from Scarlet Opus helps to anoint the show with a professional endorsement. Independently curating a wonderful exhibition of diverse product selections from right across the sector.”
Ben Grunwerg, managing director, Grunwerg
“It was great to be back in London for the Exclusively Housewares show and be able to catch up with our regular customers. The EH show is now the best UK housewares show and is a ‘must attend’ for anyone involved in the industry.”
Simon Maghnagi, commercial director, Forma House
“It was another successful show for us this year and it was great to hear such a positive reaction to our new launches. Last year we hosted Mary Berry on the stand, but this year we just let the designs do the talking – and our brilliant sales team of course.
“We were really pleased to have had several products selected from our licensed and in-house brands featured in the Scarlet Opus colour trends showcase including Cath Kidston Strawberry Garden, Maxwell & Williams Capri, Mary Berry At Home casseroles and &Again accessories.
“There were several new ranges and additions to our brands and licenses featured on our stand, but the standout stars of the show were the Cath Kidston new 2024 Christmas design and our very own new Woodbury Lane range, which went down a storm! It was great to see so many international visitors too which is perfect timing with our export manager Daniel Wright having started in April in this brand new role for us.”
Katie Cryer, national account manager, Robert Welch Designs
“Exclusively was a great show for Robert Welch Designs. We were delighted how it went – it certainly felt busier than previous years, seeing customers from across the UK and overseas. We also had a very good stream of customers on the second day. Our new Mills collection was particularly well received and we definitely saw an upsurge in orders taken at the show on new products and promotions. All in all, a great show with a great vibe.”
James Sheldon, trading manager, Thermos UK
“It was great to be back exhibiting Exclusively again this year. We were delighted by the response we received for all of our new product launches, especially our Disney collaboration with both the Signature Bottles and FUNtainer products – the reaction was even better than we imagined. The expansion of our flagship Icon Series with seven new exciting colours also lead to some really productive meetings with key retailers.”
Jim Clawley, commercial sales director at ESG (Eurosonic)
“We also highlighted the recent announcement of our glass being air fryer compatible by including an actual air fryer on stand. Many were pleased to hear the official communication and looked forward to using their Pyrex in the air fryer. The presence of the air fryer also sparked a wave of inspiration among retailers to create dual displays, selling our glassware alongside air fryers.
“Additional to the stand we also took part in the Brand Showcase. This was a dedicated space for journalists and influencers to view a select few brands and their new offerings. The second day featured a presentation where brands were able to talk to the journalists directly, this was particularly beneficial as we displayed a selection of our storage ranges and demonstrated the 3in1 features of Zero Plastic. Overall feedback was positive, and attendees were eager to continue seeing new products from Pyrex.”
